Quote:
Originally Posted by Sashimister
What you're saying is true, but I doubt that the OP is at that advanced stage in his/her Japanese studies.
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You are right.
But I think it is very wrong to teach westerners that はい=yes and いいえ=no at the very early stage of study without explaining in details. Teachers should at least inform students that はい is also a frequently used 相槌 that shows the speaker that you are listening but does not imply any agreement. And if students do not know that "I'll think about it" in Japanese is a rejection, they will get embarassed one day.
Many non-Japanese people misunderstand the Japanese and call them dishonest because they think that their 相槌 はい and polite rejection mean an agreement. Actually, some of my friends dislike Japanese people for this stupid reason. I will try my best to educate them.